Nanotechnology under the spotlight

Nanotechnology can best be considered as a catch-all description of activities at the level of atoms and molecules that have applications in the real world. A nanometre is a billionth of a metre, that is, about 1/80,000 of the diameter of a human hair, or 10 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom.

Dr Michael Mason the Institute of Nanotechnology is a leading light in the nanotechnology industry and will be speaking at Technology Wales 2005 at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport South Wales next June. He will be presenting a Keynote session on the crossover effect and the opportunities it provides for anyone involved in technology.

Dr Mason said “We assist many companies in identifying opportunities offered by nanotechnology to be integrated into their existing products. These range from automotive, perfumes, household cleaning, construction as well as the very technology-based examples. “

Many technological developments in key areas are heavily influenced by nanotechnology, including: novel foods, smart clothing, renewable energy, revolutions in medicine, advanced techniques in security & crime detection, new approaches to tissue engineering and medical implants, the latest in sunscreens and cosmetics, as well as nanotechnologies in space travel and exploration.

The possibilities are exciting and go beyond our current imagination. To quote the Institute of Nanotechnology “The Borg aren't real, but human-machine integration isn't just fiction anymore. Teams at MIT, Xerox and elsewhere are racing to connect you very closely to your cell phone and television.

Within a few years, pacemakers and other medical devices will begin corresponding electronically with hospitals, physicians and even insurance companies about the patients whom they inhabit.

Many aspects of our behaviour will be monitored more closely, and we may even get insurance discounts if we agree to "show" what healthy people we are.